Study finds men need more support after battling prostate cancer
A new study has raised concerns about the post-treatment support men get after battling prostate cancer with more than a third saying they needed more help.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Men who have survived prostate cancer don’t feel supported post-treatment, with more than a third admitting they could do with more comprehensive care.
A landmark 15-year study of male patients and survivors has revealed that the majority of men continued to report a need for better overall care, including co-ordination between medical teams and control over their treatment.
The study, by Cancer Council NSW, also found men have ongoing concerns about their mental health, sexual function and incontinence, which had long-term impacts on their lives.
David Smith, the project lead and Senior Research Fellow, said the study was a way to better understand the quality of life of survivors and patients.
“We estimate there are now over 210,000 men living with prostate cancer,” he says.
“Many men can survive a long time, but many don’t survive well and their quality of life can be affected.”
The findings showed almost 10 per cent of men were concerned about their cancer returning, while barriers such as paying for hospital parking further added to their stress.
Survivor Paul Bordonaro, 65, from Kew, said he was “not surprised” men felt this way.
“It’s traumatic being told you’ve got cancer,” he said.
“And the system is focused on keeping you alive — but the post treatment environment is very different and all of a sudden you discover things aren’t the same.”
The father-of-three admitted there had been many times since he was diagnosed in 2005 where he had felt worried or alone.
“Men are buggers – they’re not likely to reach out to a mate,” Mr Bordonaro said.
“And there really isn’t a resource or a system (to go to) and I think what tends to happen is that the physical side effects, there’s a knock on effect to your own being.
“You go through identity issues, you have issues in a relationship sense which I really underestimated, and you tend to suffer in silence.”
Mr Smith said there was now a push for a screening process to help men suffering on their own, which the study further supports.
“Men face these issues in a variety of different ways and we know that often the psychological impacts are missed,” he said,
“We encourage men to talk about their issues and seek help if they need.”
It comes as Cancer Council Victoria yesterday (WED) announced a funding boost for patients with advanced solid cancers to have access to more precise immunotherapy treatment within the next five years.
The $1.5 million in funding will look at the use of a high precision technique called stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) which ‘kickstarts’ a patients’ immune response and maximises the effects of immunotherapy.
Associate Professor Shankar Siva said the fellowship will help understand and improve the effectiveness of treatments.
MORE NEWS:
STREET GANG KNIFE VIOLENCE, CRIME ON THE RISE